Day Thirty

Past, present and future.

Thursday's child has far to go

I’m a Thursday’s child and something of a wanderer even as a toddler,  perfecting the art of escaping from our charmless back yard, flagged with Yorkshire stone.

 

The locals and shopkeepers all knew me, ‘Eee, it’s Mrs Wade’s little lass, tek ‘er ‘ome will yer Charlie?’

And Charlie, or Mabel or Elsie would take my hand and sometimes  bribing me with ‘spice’ (usually Jelly Babies) return me reluctantly to my frantic mother.

In those days, to keep children safe when walking, toddlers often wore reins and Mum fixed up an anti-escape device using this harness.  

A long line was fastened to the back of it then the other end looped over the clothes line which stretched right across the yard.  Thus I could play and ride my trike - but not get out of the gate to go wandering.

At 2 and 3 years old, I had no idea why I went walkabout but as I grew, the passion to find greenery, trees and flowers was almost an obsession. 

 I loathed the city and when, as an adult, I put together my family tree, I realised I was the first child of multiple generations not to be born into a rural situation. Even my mother had been born and brought up on a farm in Harden, near to where these bluebells grow in Bingley Woods.                The countryside is in my genes.   

Present:

A couple of weeks ago my phone rang and a lady said, 'Hello Mavis, how you doing?' 

I explained I wasn't Mavis and we had a bit of a giggle about it but that dear soul has rung every few days to make sure I'm still on my perch and twittering even in isolation.  

 Isn't that lovely? A complete stranger cares.

I’m also lucky that after being initially anxious when there were no delivery or pickup slots at the supermarkets even for high- priority people, so many rallied round with offers of help.

Not just close friends but people I hardly know.

As a result, I’m not only grateful for milk, eggs and vegetable deliveries but for the huge kindnesses shown by so many.

Future:

The New Zealand Government has announced that as from midnight on Tuesday 28th, we’ll move back to Level Three.

The first stage in our move towards a total Covexit.

This won’t change anything for me but more people will be able to get back to work; up to 10 will be allowed to attend funerals and children under 5 will return to kindergarten, no doubt to the relief of their harassed mothers.

When I was growing up in the late 40’s, early 50’s, almost every adult began sentences with, ‘Well, before the war, we…..’ 

I predict this will happen when we are finally free of isolation, lockdown and  Covexit is complete.

In our new normal, we’ll say:    ‘Of course, before Covid we could….’